Work Truck Magazine, December 2018

DECEMBER 2018 WORK TRUCK 23 1 Attack Your Culture The best corporate culture is one built on respect Meredith said and if yours is not the nature of the work will accelerate the manifestation of negativity Drivers have a lot of time to think If your dispatcher doesnt like drivers for example that will come out during the day The dispatcher will say something and the driver will ponder that conversation all day long And by the end of the day what may have been a very small innocuous comment will be huge Meredith said After a while that repetition of thinking will lead the driver to believe this is not the company for him or her How do you know whether a sense of mutual respect pervades every level of your organization Just ask Meredith said and do so at regular intervals following each new hire Ask your drivers questions at 30 days 60 days 90 120 and 180 Within that first 180 days most drivers will make the decision as to whether they want to work there he said In the service industry where drivers interact with customers face to face disrespect can become contagious and undermine the companys values Johnson said He urged fleet operators to consider their employees values just as they expect employees to understand the companys To do so owners and managers may have to devote more time and resources to driver employee conversations and evaluations than they are accustomed to I think you really need to take the approach of How can I invest in my employees How is it that I can make sure I understand what each individual can provide to make my company successful said Johnson who serves as Lytxs director of risk and compliance management Be honest with employees and recruits What can we do to really engage them They want to work with a successful company How do we keep the door open to achieve that 2 Break the Pattern As vice president of sales and business development at CCM Tillotson has worked with many fleets dedicated to a wide variety of industries But even he was surprised to learn a new client was grappling with a turnover rate that fluctuated between 200 and 300 A driver could be recruited hired and onboarded in January and replaced at least twice by December How can you invest in training and substantial benefits with that turnover Tillotson asked The initial setup cost alone means its not economically feasible from a P L perspective These guys are chasing new drivers and afraid to spend money on current drivers Why dont you try to break that pattern Tillotson believes a goal of 80 retention is not only reasonable but achievable It starts by stepping outside ones comfort zone For most owners and operators the nuts and bolts of fleet management are easier to fully grasp and invest in than retention The operational budget comes first trucks and tires On the personnel side its a science theyre not applying themselves to he explained Those who apply this concept are rewarded not only with longer tenured drivers but enhanced visibility into the employment and customer service experience their fleet delivers Meredith said In addition to catching up with new hires at 30 and 60 day intervals he wants owners and managers to continue the cultural conversation even after a driver employee decides to quit Use the exit interview to find out why theyre leaving he said Could we have done something different You have got to build a culture that is focused not on recruitment but retention 3 Make Safety a Priority Fleets that suffer high accident rates pay a steep price Serious collisions can cause injury or death If a driver employee is at fault costly claims and escalating insurance rates can result Damaged vehicles cant produce revenue until they are repaired PHOTO GETTY IMAGES GET OFF THE ROAD The need to attract and retain skilled workers is real for any fleet no matter its size shape or range But Michael Meredith consultant with Glostone Trucking Solutions believes vocational fleets have a competitive edge because at the end of each workday their drivers get to go home With heavy duty wages stagnating and a desire for the long haul lifestyle waning particularly among younger generations Meredith predicted work trucks and vans will appear infinitely more appealing I would think that as more truck drivers start to burn out theyre going to look for other opportunities where their driving skills could be used he said Those drivers are going to be searching for new careers I sense it in my bones BREAK THE PATTERN OF EARLY TURNOVER BY BUILDING A CORPORATE CULTURE GROUNDED IN RESPECT SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR DRIVER EMPLOYEES

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